Treating liquid device for gas wells



Se t. 24, 1963 L. H. ROBINSON, JR., ETAL 3,

' TREATING LIQUID DEVICE FOR GAS WELL v Filed Aug. 10, 1960 INVENTORS. LEON H. ROBINSON,JR., BENJAMIN MOSIER, BY JOSEPH A. BURKHARDT,

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United States Patent TREATING LIQUID DEVECE FOR GAS WELLS Leon H. Robinson, J12, Benjamin Mosier, and Joseph A.

Burkhardt, Houston, Tex., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company, Tulsa,

Okla, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 10, 1950, Ser. No. 48,709 6 Claims. (Cl. 166-162) This invention relates to gas producing wells. More particularly, this invention is an improved device for ejecting treating liquids, such as a corrosion inhibitor, at a point in the gas producing well to protect the subsurface equipment.

For various reasons, it is often necessary to inject a treating liquid into a subsurface well. For example, the tubing and casing in a subsurface well are subject to corrosion. Therefore, it is desirable to protect the tubing and casing from the effects of corrosion by lining the tubing and casing with corrosion inhibitor. This invention is a device for ejecting treating liquids for treating subsurface borehole equipment in a gas producing well. The rate of injection of the treating liquid is controlled to provide continuous treatment for a long period of time.

The invention as well as its many advantages will be further understood by reference to the following detailed description and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view showing the device used with permanent well type completion subsurface equipment;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, a borehole is shown. The usual casing 12 is cemented to the sides of the borehole 10 by the usual cement 14.

A production tubing 16 extends from the earths surface and terminates at a point above the bottom of the borehole 10.

A landing nipple 18 having recesses 19 is provided adjacent the lower end of the production tubing 16. The recesses 19 are adapted to receive locking dogs 21 on extension tubing 20. A packer 22 is mounted about the extension tubing below locking dogs 21. The extension tubing 20 may be lowered into position from the earths surface by means of a wire-line tool (not shown) which would be connected to the fishing neck 26.

The tubing extension 20 is provided with a plurality of gas inlet ports 28. Perforations 32 have been made to extend through the casing 12 and cement 14 and into the gas producing formation 34. A large packer 36 is mounted on the production tubing 16 and in the annulus between the production tubing 16 and the casing 12. Packer 36 isolates the pressure from the formation 34. Thus, gas produced from formation 34 will flow through perforations 32, into gas inlet ports 28, up through and out the upper end of tubing extension 20, and up the production tubing 16 to the earths surface.

The portion of the tubing extension 20 located above the ports 28 is provided with an annular protrusion 31 to provide a constriction 38 in the flow path of the gas. A transverse member 40 having holes 42 formed therein is provided across the tubing extension 20 and below the gas inlet ports 28. Thus, a container or reservoir 44 is provided in the lower part of the tubing extension 20. The treating liquid, such as corrosion inhibitor, is located in the reservoir 44.

A passage 46 extends from the bottom of the reservoir 44 upwardly past the transverse member 40 and into the protrusion 31. The extreme bottom of the passage 46 is J-shaped. A continuation of passage 46 is formed by tube 47. Tube 47 may extend upward through the reservoir 44 and is made of an oil-wet, liquid permeable member. This prevents the entrance of any produced water into the tube 47. g

A liquid permeable member 48 is positioned at the outlet of the passage 46. The liquid permeable member 48 may be made of various types of liquid permeable material, such as sintered metals (e.g., stainless steel, copper, brass, aluminum, etc.), sintered ceramics, or sintered plastics. Preferably, the liquid permeable member 48 is made oil-wet. The oil-wet characteristic of the member 48 will prevent gas from flowing into the liquid permeable member 48. The entrance of gas into liquid permeable member 48 would increase the resistance to the flow of the corrosion inhibitor into the tubing 20. The member 48 may be made oil-wet by materials such as surface active agents, e.g., high molecular weight quaternary ammonium salts, fatty acid derivatives, or crude oils.

In operation, the tubing extension 20 is lowered into the borehole 10 and seated in the landing nipple 18 of production tubing 16. The gas from gas producing formation 3-4 will flow through inlets 28 and through the constriction 38 and out the upper end of extension 20 up to the earths surface. The constriction 38 causes the gas to increase in velocity as it flows through the constriction. This causes a lower pressure at the constriction when compared to the pressure on each side of the constriction. Thus, the pressure present in the reservoir 44 is greater than the pressure at the constriction 38. Corrosion inhibitor will therefore flow out of the reservoir 44, upwardly in the passage 46, through the liquid permeable member 48, and into the tubing extension 20 and production tubing 16 to protect the tubing 16 from corrosion.

The reservoir 44 may be made up of a plurality of tubular members connected together. This will provide a corrosion inhibitor reservoir of high capacity. Also, the rate of flow of corrosion inhibitor through liquid permeable member 48 is very small. Thus, because of the large capacity of reservoir 44 and the low rate of flow of liquid through permeable member 48, the corrosion inhibitor is continuously applied for a long period of time to treat the subsurface equipment.

We claim:

1. A subsurface device for ejecting treating liquids for treating subsurface borehole equipment in agas producing well comprising: a tubular member having at least one formation gas inlet port formed therein and a portion thereof shaped to provide a constriction in the flow path of the gas to thereby cause a lower pressure in the flow path of the gas at said constriction than the higher pressure elsewhere in the flow path of the gas; a packer mounted on the tubular member above the gas inlet port; a treating liquid reservoir; at least one passageway dil rectly exposing the treating liquid reservoir to the pressure of the gas flowing through the gas inlet port; and a treating liquid conduit leading from the reservoir to the con striction and having an outlet into the flow path of the gas.

2. A subsurface device in accordance with claim 1 wherein a liquid permeable member is positioned in the outlet of the treating liquid conduit.

3. A subsurface device in accordance with claim 2 wherein the liquid permeable member is oil-wet.

4. A subsurface device for ejecting treating liquids for treating subsurface borehole equipment in a gas producing well comprising: a tubular member having at least one formation gas inlet port formed therein and a portion thereof shaped to provide a constriction in the flow path of the gas to thereby cause a lower pressure in the flow path of the gas at said constriction than the higher pres sure elsewhere in the flow path of the gas; a packer 6. A subsurface device in accordance with claim 5 wherein the liquid permeable member is oil-Wet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sawyer May 13, 1930 Warden et a1 Dec. 11, 1956 Srniecinski Apr. 22, 1958 Winter et al. July 8, 1958 Cal-others July 22, 1958 Jones Mar. 15, 1960 

1. A SUBSURFACE DEVICE FOR EJECTING TREATING LIQUIDS FOR TREATING SUBSURFACE BOREHOLE EQUIPMENT IN A GAS PRODUCING WELL COMPRISING: A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE FORMATION GAS INLET PORT FORMED THEREIN AND A PORTION THEREOF SHAPED TO PROVIDE A CONSTRICTION IN THE FLOW PATH OF THE GAS TO THEREBY CAUSE A LOWER PRESSURE IN THE FLOW PATH OF THE GAS AT SAID CONSTRICTION THAN THE HIGHER PRESSURE ELSEWHERE IN THE FLOW PATH OF THE GAS; A PACKER MOUNTED ON THE TUBULAR MEMBER ABOVE THE GAS INLET PORT: A TREATING LIQUID RESERVOIR; AT LEAST ONE PASSAGEWAY DIRECTLY EXPOSING THE TREATING LIQUID RESERVOIR TO THE PRESSURE OF THE GAS FLOWING THROUGH THE GAS INLET PORT; AND A TREATING LIQUID CONDUIT LEADING FROM THE RESERVOIR TO THE CONSTRICTION AND HAVING AN OUTLET INTO THE FLOW PATH OF THE GAS. 